Document abrading device

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides a shredding device that has an elongated body that houses a motor. A brush may be rotatably secured to the body, at least partly outside of the body, and driven by the motor and configured to remove by abrasion at least a layer of a substrate having markings thereon. The shredding device may include a vacuum system for collecting particulate matter formed by abrading the substrate.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to devices useful for the destruction ofsensitive information and, more particularly, to hand held devices thatremove markings from a substrate.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Conventionally, documents containing sensitive information, such asconfidential or personal information, are shredded by a mechanicalshredding machine or are otherwise destroyed in an attempt to preventthe information on the documents from being misused. Even when suchdocuments are shredded, however, the possibility remains that a personcould reassemble the pieces of the document and obtain the sensitiveinformation. Further, such shredding machines are often bulky, large,heavy, or otherwise not conducive to portability.

The problem may not be solved if the sensitive information is masked by,for example, black marker, white out, or some other masking device,since the information may still be detected by sophisticated chemical orlight-based image analysis devices or in some cases even byunsophisticated means (e.g., holding the document against a lightsource).

Thus, the most reliable way to ensure security of documents or objectshaving sensitive information or markings thereon is to completely removethe information or markings from the surface of the documents or objectsand, preferably, to obliterate such information or markings in theirentirety.

Power erasers are known, but they rotate elastomeric erasers that arenot effective at removing permanent markings, such as permanent ink,particularly from durable surfaces like plastic.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

According to an aspect of the present invention, a method for removingmarkings from a substrate is provided. In the method, a brush is mountedin an elongated body and is rotatably driven. A substrate havingmarkings thereon is contacted with the rotating brush and at least asuperficial layer of the substrate is removed, the markings beingremoved along with the superficial layer. The markings may either beink, toner, alphanumeric text, or graphical indicia and the substratemay be either a fiber-based material or plastic.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a shredding deviceis provided that has an elongated body and a motor located within thebody. A brush is rotatably secured to the body, at least partly outsideof the body, and a vacuum system and dust container are mounted to thebody. The brush is driven by the motor and configured to remove byabrasion at least a layer of a substrate having markings thereon and thevacuum system is configured to collect dust, shavings, or otherparticulate matter created by abrading the substrate and to deposit thedust, shavings, or other particulate matter into the dust container.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned and other features and advantages of thisdisclosure, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparentand the disclosure itself will be better understood by reference to thefollowing description taken in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a document abrading device in accordancewith an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 2 shows a document abrading device removing markings from a surfacein accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the elements of a documentabrading device in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is a detail view of an embodiment of a brush used in the documentabrading device in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 5 is a detail view of another embodiment of a brush used in thedocument abrading device in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 6 is a schematic diagram of a document abrading device having aprotective cap in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram showing the removal of a brush from adocument abrading device in accordance with an embodiment of the presentinvention;

FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram of a document abrading device and chargerin accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a schematic diagram of a document abrading device having alight in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 10 is a schematic diagram of a document abrading device having astorage compartment at one end in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 11 is a schematic partial cutaway diagram of a document abradingdevice having a vacuum system in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention;

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of a document abrading device having avacuum system in accordance with another embodiment of the presentinvention; and

FIG. 13 is a schematic diagram of a document abrading device having awriting implement at one end in accordance with an embodiment of thepresent invention.

An embodiment will be described with reference to the accompanyingdrawings. Corresponding reference characters indicate correspondingparts throughout the several views. The description as set out hereinillustrates an arrangement of an embodiment of the present disclosureand is not to be construed as limiting its scope in any manner.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

A document abrading device 10 in accordance with the present inventionis shown in FIG. 1. The device 10 may be used for any of a variety ofshredding or erasing purposes such as for removal of sensitiveinformation from a surface (e.g., paper, plastic, cardboard, etc.) orfor simply erasing marks from such a surface even when the marks arecreated by permanent ink. The document abrading device 10 may beconfigured to remove, or shred, only a superficial layer of a substrate38 so that any information contained thereon is destroyed 39 while theremainder of the surface 38 is preserved, as shown in FIG. 2. Thedocument abrading device 10 may also be configured to remove more than asuperficial layer of a substrate 38 or to completely shred or abradethrough the entire thickness of the substrate 38, if such capability isdesired. The removal of at least a superficial layer of the substrate 38is accomplished by rotatably driving a brush 24, preferably made of thinmetal wires, and bringing the rotating brush 24 into contact with thesurface of the substrate 38 having a marking that is to be removed. Theabrading effect of the rotating brush 24 removes the marking and, insome cases, turns at least a superficial layer of the surface having themarking thereon into particulate matter, e.g., dust.

Such markings may include ink, toner, pencil marks (e.g., lead,graphite, etc.), alpha-numeric text, graphical indicia, or other suchmarkings. Substrates containing markings may include fiber-basedsubstrates, such as paper or cardboard, or plastic.

The document abrading device 10 has an elongated and generallycylindrical shape, generally similar to a thick pen such that it may beheld in a user's hand as one holds a pen. Such a shape lends itselffavorably to increased accuracy, comfort, and familiarity in use. Thedevice 10, as shown in FIGS. 1-3, generally includes a body 12, a grip14 disposed over a portion of the body 12, and a switch 16 positionedbeneath the grip 14 and protruding through the grip 14 through anopening 15 in a location convenient to a user. The switch 16 may insteadbe located anywhere on the body 12, such as a top or middle portion, asis seen fit for convenience and/or practicality. Other shapes orconfigurations may be used for the body.

The body 12 forms a receptacle that houses various parts of the device10 including batteries 18 (or some other power source), a motor 20, amotor spindle 21, and a brush support 22. The brush support 22 supportsa brush 24 that is positioned at least partly outside of the body 12.The brush 24 may be made of thin metal wires, as shown in detail inFIGS. 4 and 5, and is configured to be driven to rotate to remove andobliterate markings from a surface of a substrate 38.

The brush 24 may have any configuration, such as the rounded one shownin FIG. 4, the square one shown in FIG. 5, or any other suitable shapeto remove markings from a surface 38. In the rounded configuration shownin FIG. 4, the bristles have a larger axial length in the center (i.e.,at the rotational axis) and the length of the bristles progressivelydecreases in the radial direction. Preferably, but not necessarily, theconfiguration is such that the bristle ends define a round, andpreferably generally hemispherical, shape. This is advantageous becausethe device 10 can be held at an acute angle relative to the surface ofthe substrate 38—similarly to how a pen is held when writing. A conicalor generally conical shape may also be used, with the side of the coneproviding a larger surface for abrading, and the tip providing a pointfor more precision in abrading.

In the flat configuration shown in FIG. 5, the bristles all haveessentially the same axial length. This provides an essentially flataxial end surface. While the user has to hold the device 10 generallyperpendicular to the substrate 38 to take full advantage of all thebristles, the wider and flatter end surface provides more bristlecontact with the substrate 38.

A removable cap 26, as shown in FIG. 6, may be mounted to the end of thebody 12 to cover and protect the brush 24 and/or to prevent accidentalmovement of the switch 16 and activation of the device 10. The cap 26may have structure that corresponds to structure on the body 12 or grip14 so as to form a removable snap-on or twist-on fitting, thus securingthe cap 26 to the device 10 when it is not in use.

FIG. 7 shows an example of a way in which a brush 24 may be removed forreplacement or substitution. After extended use, a brush 24 may be wornsuch that replacement becomes necessary. Additionally, different typesof brushes may be used to remove markings on a variety of surfaces. Forexample, a brush 24 having relatively softer wires or bristles may beused on a surface 38 such as paper (e.g., bills or bank statements),while a brush 24 having relatively stiffer wires or bristles may be usedon a more abrasion-resistant surface 38, such as plastic (e.g., a creditcard). Further, it may be desirable to use a brush 24 that is safe totouch while rotating. Such a brush 24 may be made of plastic or nylonbristles or may be of a relatively soft metal or of thin gauge metalwires. Thus, it may be desirable to change the brush 24 quickly andeasily to adapt to different surfaces and uses.

In the manner of removing the brush 24 shown in FIG. 7, the brush 24 maybe removed by rotating it in a direction 30 opposite to the direction ofrotation 28 when driven by the motor 20. To provide for this type ofremoval, the brush support 22 may be configured to have threads at itsbrush supporting end to correspond with threads on the brush 24. Theopposite end of the brush support 22 may be configured to engage with amotor spindle 21 to transfer rotational drive to the brush 24. The brushsupport 22 may include structure that interlocks or otherwise securelyengages with structure on the spindle 21 in order to reduce slippage.

Additional methods of removing the brush are contemplated by the presentinvention. For example, the brush 24 may be removed upon pressing anejection button or by a chuck or collet.

In another embodiment of the present invention, the power source maycomprise a rechargeable battery instead of batteries 18. In such anembodiment, shown in FIG. 8, a battery charger 34 may be provided andmay include a docking station 32 and AC outlet plug 33 so that thedevice 10 may be simultaneously stored and recharged. Alternatively, adocking station may be built into a traditional full size mechanicalpaper shredder (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 7,040,559, the entirety ofwhich is incorporated herein, or any other shredder) so that thedocument abrading device 10 may be stored and recharged in proximity ofthe full size shredder. The device 10 would fit in a receptacle in theshredder, and have electroconductive contacts that communicate with abatter recharging circuit and engage electroconductive contacts in theshredder receptacle that communicate with the shredder's power supply,thereby recharging the device's 10 battery. As a further alternative,the document abrading device 10 may be powered directly by a wallelectrical outlet via an AC adapter or permanent power cord.

As shown in FIG. 9, the document abrading device 10 in accordance withthe present invention may be provided with a light 36, such as an LED(light-emitting diode) or a small bulb so that a user may better viewthe target portion of the surface 38 in operation. A light 36 may beadvantageous when removing markings on surfaces in hard-to-reach areasor in a dimly light environment.

The body 12 may include a storage portion 44 at one end, covered by aremovable cap 40, in order to store replacement or substitute objects,such as spare brushes 24, as shown in FIG. 10. The cap 40 may bethreadedly attached to the body 12 and be removed upon rotation 42. Thecap 40 may be removably attached to the body 12 by any other knownmeans, such as by a snap-on fitting or by a locking groove.

According to a further aspect of the present invention, the documentabrading device 10 may include a vacuum system 46 and dust container 48,as shown in FIGS. 11 and 12. The vacuum system 46 may be configured tocollect any dust, shavings, or other particles formed by the brush 24 inremoving markings from a substrate 38 and store the dust, shavings, orparticles in the dust container 48. The dust container 48 may beconfigured to be removable from the device 10 so that it mayperiodically be emptied.

As shown in FIG. 11, the vacuum system 46 may include a fan 58 mountedover and coaxially with the motor spindle 21. The fan 58 may be integralwith the brush support structure 22 or, in another embodiment, the fan58 and the brush support 22 may be separate elements. The fan 58, due toits attachment to the motor spindle 21, is rotated during use andproduces a low pressure zone or vacuum within the brush end of thehousing 12. The low pressure zone draws paper fibers, dust, and/or otherdebris up through the shaft opening 56. The fibers, dust, and/or debrisis then forced out of the housing 12 through hole 52 and into theremovable container 48. The removable container 48 includes a filteredexhaust port 54 that is configured to allow air to pass through whileretaining fibers, dust, and/or debris within the container 48. Thecontainer 48 may periodically be removed to empty its contents.

A document abrading device having a vacuum system 46 in accordance withanother embodiment of the present invention is shown in FIG. 12. In thisembodiment, the device 10 may include an off-axis vacuum system 46located along a side of the housing 12. A small impeller, or otherdevice known in the art to enable vacuum action, may be located withinthe system 46 to create the vacuum suction and may be powered by thepower source 18 of the device 10. The vacuum 46 may alternativelyinclude its own power source, such as a battery, rechargeable battery,or it may be powered by a wall outlet via an AC adapter or permanentpower cord. In this embodiment, paper fibers, dust, or other debris arecollected through an opening 47 that is adjacent to the brush 24opening. Accordingly, debris is drawn into the removable container 48and air may be exhausted at a distal end 49 or other location on thecontainer 48 through a filtered exhaust port, as discussed above.

To further enhance the utility of the document abrading device 10, theend of the device 10 opposite the brush end may include a writingimplement 50 having a cap 52, as shown in FIG. 13.

While specific embodiments have been described above, it will beappreciated that the subject of the present disclosure may be practicedotherwise than as described. The descriptions above are intended to beillustrative, not limiting. Thus, it will be apparent to one skilled inthe art that modifications may be made without departing from the scopeof the claims set out below.

1. A method for removing markings from a substrate comprising: manually grasping a body having a rotatable brush; rotatably driving the brush with a motor mounted to the body; contacting the substrate having markings thereon with the rotating brush; removing at least a superficial layer of the substrate, the markings being removed along with the superficial layer, wherein the markings are selected from the group consisting of ink, toner, alphanumeric text, and graphical indicia, and the substrate is selected from the group consisting of a fiber-based material and plastic.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the brush is formed of thin metal wires.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a cap removably attached at a brush end.
 4. The method of claim 1, wherein the brush has threads at a supported end thereof and the shredding device further comprises a brush support member having threads, the threads of the brush being removably received by the threads of the brush support member.
 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising supplying a power supply, the power supply comprising batteries.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the body receives power from an outside electrical source during operation.
 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising disposing a light element on the body, in proximity to the brush, configured to cast light onto the surface.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the body has a storage compartment in an end of the body, the storage compartment being covered by a removable cap.
 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising mounting a vacuum system and a dust container to the body, the vacuum system configured to collect dust, shavings, or particles of the surface created by the rotating brush and to deposit the dust, shavings, or particles into the dust container.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein a low pressure zone is induced by a fan that is driven by the motor.
 11. The method of claim 9, wherein a low pressure zone is induced by an impeller that is off-axis from a spindle driven by the motor.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the body comprises a writing implement at an end of the body.
 13. A document abrading device comprising: a body; a motor located within the body; a brush rotatably secured to the body and at least partly outside the body, and a vacuum system and a dust container mounted to the body, wherein the brush is driven by the motor and is configured to remove by abrasion at least a layer of a substrate having markings thereon and wherein the vacuum system is configured to collect dust, shavings, or other particulate matter created by abrading the substrate and to deposit the dust, shavings, or other particulate matter into the dust container.
 14. The document abrading device of claim 13, wherein a low pressure zone is induced by a fan that is driven by the motor.
 15. The document abrading device of claim 13, wherein a low pressure zone is induced by an impeller that is off-axis from a spindle driven by the motor.
 16. The document abrading device of claim 13, wherein the brush is formed of thin metal wires.
 17. The document abrading device of claim 13, further comprising a cap removably attached to the shredding device at a brush end.
 18. The document abrading device of claim 13, wherein the brush has threads at a supported end thereof and the shredding device further comprises a brush support member having threads, the threads of the brush being removably received by the threads of the brush support member.
 19. The document abrading device of claim 13, wherein the motor is powered by rechargeable batteries and the shredding device further comprises a charger to charge the rechargeable batteries.
 20. The document abrading device of claim 13, wherein the motor is powered by an external electrical source during operation.
 21. The document abrading device of claim 13, further comprising a light element disposed on the body, in proximity to the brush, configured to cast light onto the substrate.
 22. The document abrading device of claim 13, further comprising a storage compartment in an end of the body, the storage compartment being covered by a removable cap.
 23. The document abrading device of claim 13, further comprising a writing implement at an end of the body.
 24. The document abrading device of claim 13, wherein the body is elongated and the brush is provided at one longitudinal end of the body.
 25. The document abrading device of claim 24, wherein the body is generally cylindrical. 